Double Materia
by SummerFairy
Summary: Yuffie left in the care of Tifa and Cloud her new and rare collection of materia during her trip to Kalm. But Tifa, in a clumsy gesture activated one of the materia and is now under a spell, which spell? How Cloud will handle the situation?
1. Chapter 1

**Double Materia :**

**Chapter 1**

_Disclaimer : Final Fantasy VII and its characters belong to Square Enix._

_Author note : I didn't play the game and don't know how all those materia work. What I wrote in this fic may not be accurate. Don't throw tomatoes at me, please ^^'_

_Takes place several months after the end of Advent Children Complete._

_Edit 20/10/2019 : grammatical corrections were made thanks to my beta reader, EarendilElwing._

* * *

Tifa was in a good mood this morning. Last week she got a call from Yuffie telling her she would be coming to Edge for business and would visit them. Tifa was always happy to meet again with old friends, even when it came to the hyperactive ninja (Cloud was not as thrilled as her but she knew he liked the ninja princess nonetheless). Her spunky attitude always brought smiles and laughs everywhere she went.

As planned, Yuffie arrived in Seventh Heaven at ten o'clock in the morning. Tifa made a late breakfast for the whole family and chatted happily with her friend.

"So guys, I'm sorry, but I can't stay long. I have some important matters to deal with. But during this time, do you mind keeping something for me?" said Yuffie.

Cloud raised a sceptical eyebrow. When Yuffie asked for help it had a good chance of causing problems.

"What do you want us to keep for you Yuffie? If you want to leave your luggage here, it's ok." said a friendly Tifa.

"It's kind of precious, and I think it's safer to leave it here."

"And it is?" asked an impatient Cloud.

"My awesome box of new materia." Yuffie whispered to them as if she thought someone was listening to them.

"What?!" both Cloud and Tifa exclaimed at the same time.

"Yuffie! You're leaving your materia in the hands of others? Are you ill?" asked Tifa. She placed her palm on Yuffie's forehead to check if she had a fever.

"Is there a trick in this?" asked Cloud.

Yuffie huffed at him. "No chocobo head. I need people I have faith in to keep my stuff during the meeting I have in Kalm. We are friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are, Yuffie!" answered Tifa.

"Good!" She grinned at Tifa and placed a wooden box on the table and opened it.

"Look! It's a box of rare materia. Aren't they beautiful?"

Cloud leant towards the box to see six balls, each nestled in a velvet cushion.

"The colours are weird," he commented.

"Yup! It's called Double Materia. It has two colours in one for two abilities in one! Awesome, isn't it?"

"Eh! What? How is it possible for a materia to have two abilities? I've never heard of that!" exclaimed Tifa.

"It's a new generation of materia that's been stemming from scientific researches."

Cloud sighed, visibly disgusted. "Wonderful. Twice the amount of complication. Can't all those scientists stay quiet for a while?"

"Don't worry Cloud. No one will use it, since they are under my care. And I'm sure you two will keep them safe," said Yuffie.

"Sure..." said a dejected Cloud.

"Well, Yuffie, we will keep that box for you. When do you plan on coming back?"

"In three days, Tifa. Thank you guys! Oh! And can I stay a few days in Seventh Heaven when I'm back so that we can spend some time together?"

"Of course, you're always welcome. The kids will be with Barret, so you can take Marlene's bed."

"Yeah! Thank you so much! And thanks for the nice breakfast, Tif!"

With that, Yuffie was gone, leaving Cloud and Tifa with the box of materia.

"We'd better put that in a safe place," said Cloud.

"It's ok. I will put that box behind the bar so no one will touch it," said a reassuring Tifa.

"Ok."

* * *

Tifa was washing the last glasses of the evening. Only one hour and a half left and she could close Seventh Heaven for the night. A few customers were still drinking cheerfully.

She was tired tonight, her gestures starting to get clumsy.

She had woken up even earlier this morning because of Barret, who had decided to pick the kids at six o'clock in the morning. Seriously! Six o'clock? What was he thinking? She had made them breakfast, helped them pack their bags, gave them lunch boxes and finally said goodbye, leaving them in the care of Barret.

With the kids gone, she was alone, which also meant she had no help in the bar, as Cloud was busy with his deliveries. It was in those moments that she felt gloomy.

She tried to think about Yuffie. She would be back in a few days and would surely cheer her up.

She began to tidy the remaining glasses behind the bar.

She used a rag to clean the counter and inadvertently made the pile of coffee cups topple over. She tried her best to catch them, but in doing so, she accidently pushed the wooden box towards the edge of the counter and it fell to the floor.

Tifa swore in her mind.

All the customers turned towards her to see what had happened.

"Eh Tifa, are you ok?" one of the regulars asked.

"Yeah sorry; it's just broken cups. Don't worry."

"You look tired tonight. Where are the kids and your blond guy to help you?"

"Not here, as you can see." She sighed, not needing the reminder. She took the dustpan and the broom to clean her mess.

"Need some help, Tifa?" another regular asked. At least she had kind customers.

"No, it's ok. Really, thank you." she answered politely.

Once she took care of the broken pieces, she saw Yuffie's box and blanched when she noticed it was upside down. She picked it up with great care and saw that one of the materia was missing. She really swore this time. She crouched to take a look under the cupboard.

To her utter relief, the missing materia was there. She retrieved it and checked to see if it was broken. She rubbed it to remove the dust and was about to place it back in the box, when it began to glow in a purple and white light.

Tifa froze; she knew what it meant. She had unintentionally activated the materia without wanted it. In a panic, she put back the materia in the box and closed it quickly, but it was too late. She knew it.

She didn't know what the abilities of that materia were; she wondered if she would be transformed into a frog or a monster or anything else.

She had to do something quickly. She grabbed her cellphone and called Cloud. To her surprise, he picked up instantly.

"Cloud! I'm glad you answered! I have a problem: one of Yuffie's materia activated and I don't know what is going to happen. Where are you? Can you come back please?"

"Shit! I knew it would cause problems. How are you feeling Tifa? Did something change in you?"

"No, at least not yet. But I'm scared! Please Cloud, can you come back?"

"Don't worry Tif, I'm already on my way back home. I will be there in fifteen minutes. Be careful; if you are not feeling well, sit on a chair and don't move, ok?"

"Yeah ok. Cloud, thank you." She felt relieved to know he wasn't far away.

Those fifteen minutes were the longest of her whole life. She continued to serve beers to her customers, all the while internally praying she would not develop any weird behaviours.

* * *

Cloud parked Fenrir in the garage and stormed into the bar. He spotted her in the middle of the room. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw him. To Cloud's surprise, she all but threw herself at him.

"Tifa, are you alright?"

"Cloud, finally! You're here!"

She hugged him so tight, he felt as if she wanted to break his ribs.

"Oh god, that's a nice welcome! Me too! I want to have Tifa hugging me like that!" said a partially drunk customer.

"You can dream. You're too old for her! And too bald!" laughed one of his friends, also a little drunk.

Cloud shot them a dirty look, and they quickly stopped their comments.

He tried to make her loosen her grip on him, but she didn't want to comply.

She even began to cry. In that moment, Cloud was certain that something was wrong and that the mysterious materia already had some effects on her.

"I'm sorry but the bar is closing earlier tonight. You have ten minutes to finish your drinks," Cloud announced.

"What? But why?" the same drunk customer asked.

"Are you stupid? Can't you see Tifa is not feeling well?" answered the same drunk friend.

* * *

Cloud coaxed her towards the kitchen to have some privacy.

"Tifa? Why are you crying?"

"I... hu... I'm happy you're here for me."

"Of course I am. Tell me what happened with the materia."

"Hu... the...what?" Clearly, she was elsewhere, her mind unfocused.

"Tifa, do you remember? You called me saying you activated a materia?"

"Ah, yes, everything was on the floor. I was so scared."

"Ok, which materia? What happened when it activated?"

"I... just... don't remember. I have a horrible headache."

"Tifa, please, try to remember; it's important." He hugged her a little to soothe her.

"Well, I was on the floor, and there was a purple and white light. At first I thought it was ok, but it wasn't, and then I called you and... and... I was suddenly really scared! I wanted you to be here."

"I'm here now. Don't worry."

"But I'm sorry I made you come back home when nothing happened. I'm not transformed into a frog or anything."

"You're not, but it had some effects. You're not normal right now, Tifa."

"I'm not?"

"No, you're not. Your mind seems confused and you're crying."

"Oh. What am I going to do then?"

"Go to sleep and wait for the effects to stop. Can I let you go upstairs while I close the bar?"

"Ok." She nodded at him.

"Good." He noticed her frown and uneasiness. He really had to call Yuffie to find out what spell she was under.

After closing the bar, he spent ten minutes on the phone listening to Yuffie yell about their foolish mistake. Finally, he got her to send him the list of the materia's abilities to his phone. The ninja girl herself didn't know what they were made for! She said she hadn't had time to play with her new toys yet. She was not of a big help, much to Cloud's dismay.

* * *

_NdA: I'm sorry for making Tifa looks like a crying baby lol She's not that kind of girl but it was fun to write her that way._


	2. Chapter 2

**Double Materia :**

_Disclaimer : Final Fantasy VII and its characters belong to Square Enix._

_Author note : I didn't play the game but I recently watched some Let's play FF7 video, I understand a little better how those materia work._

_Edit 15/11/2019 : grammatical corrections were made thanks to my beta reader, EarendilElwing._

* * *

**Chappy 2 :**

Cloud read the long list of abilities, two for each materia. One of the materia was purple and white, and was the one Tifa spoke about earlier. He read attentively :

_"A double materia shining in purple and white; one ability is for Truth, the other for Exacerbated Feelings."_

He frowned. What did that mean?

Reading further, he discovered that all the six materia were part of a set of Psychological Modification. That would explain why Tifa was crying. She'd had a hard day and her tiredness turned into tears because of the materia.

As for the Truth ability, Tifa wasn't a liar so maybe it wouldn't make any difference. Well, maybe not. He thought about it five more minutes and came to the conclusion that it could be troublesome for him. What if she felt resentful towards him?

After his return, he witnessed how much he had damaged their relationship. Tifa was still nice, and she was still taking care of him, but he could feel some apprehension coming from her. He knew she was still wondering if one day he would leave her again or not. So maybe he should fear that Truth ability!

He sighed nonetheless, relieved that the spell she was under was not something like Blind, Shrink or Transform.

* * *

That evening, Tifa came into his room wearing her makeshift pajamas: a white tight T-shirt and a black shorts. Tears were falling freely from her eyes again.

Cloud stopped his paperwork and headed towards her.

"Hey, Tifa. Is something wrong?"

"I'm all alone. I'm scared, I can't sleep." Her voice was shaking; she really looked miserable, and the view didn't sit well with Cloud. He hugged her, trying to calm her. It worked quite well, to his surprise.

"It's ok Tifa. Don't worry, you'll feel better tomorrow. Try to sleep, ok?"

"Mmmhh."

She calmed down, but sat on his bed.

"Tif, you can't stay here."

"But, I... wanna be with you..."

He looked back at her, surprised at her statement. He wondered if it was because of that Truth ability again. Maybe it was.

"You can't; go back in your room please."

She looked at him as if he had just slapped her. Her lips began to quiver and soon she was crying again. It was ten times worse than five minutes ago.

He had thought that Exacerbated Feelings weren't going to be a big deal, but it seemed he was very wrong!

"Is it because you hate me? Do you?" She accused him.

When he did not react, she got off his bed and stormed back into her room. Cloud was left speechless. Seeing Tifa like this was so unlike her; she was not a touchy person nor a drama queen.

He thought it was better to leave her alone, that she would fall asleep soon, so he resumed his paperwork.

Ten minutes later, after replaying her words again and again (and all the guilt it brought back with it because he knew, just a few months earlier, he had been cold to her and distant because of the geostigma), and hearing her crying loudly as if someone had died, he couldn't stand it anymore.

Exacerbated feelings or not, he wasn't going to leave her in such a state all night long.

He knocked on her door. No answer came. He sighed and entered nonetheless.

"Tifa, you know it's not what you think. I'm sorry. I absolutely do not hate you, don't think that please."

She sniffled, and turned slowly towards him and said in a weak voice, "Really?"

"Yes, of course." He sat on the bed next to her, smiling reassuringly. Again, he thought it wouldn't be enough to comfort her, but she seemed to feel better instantly. She leant her head against his shoulder.

"Cloud, thank you."

"It's ok, silly. Don't put yourself in such a state. Everything is alright." He lightly kissed her on her forehead. He didn't know how long they stayed like that. Eventually, he gently pushed her away.

"Try to sleep."

"Ah...but..." She fidgeted nervously before catching his arm. He raised an eyebrow at her. She kissed him on his cheek. He sighed; it became evident that if he wanted her to stop crying he had to stay with her.

"Would you like me to stay with you?" he finally asked.

She nodded fervently with a big smile. He held her and made her lay down on her bed with him.

"Ok then. But now, be a good girl and go to sleep."

She giggled at him.

He quickly noticed she wasn't sleepy at all, especially when she attacked him with kisses.

At first, he thought it was funny. She was like a little girl kissing her dad she hadn't seen for a while. Soon he realized the situation could quickly become embarrassing for him, especially if he had to justify his actions tomorrow morning when she would recovered her senses.

He fought a little with her wandering hands, but eventually forfeited, allowing her to take off his shirt.

"Tifa, stop. You will regret it tomorrow morning."

"Why would I Cloud? I would never regret spending some quality time with you."

"Hu... quality time?"

"Yes; it's rare for me to be able to spend time alone with you."

Now that he thought about it, he was away on the weekend more and more often. He had made an effort to be more present for his family after the attack of the remnants, but slowly he had been overwhelmed by Strife Delivery Services and didn't really notice that he was drifting away from them again.

"Tifa, would you like to spend more time with me, like on the weekend?"

"Of course! Yes, I would love that! But you're always on unplanned deliveries or tending your damn bike. I feel sad each time."

"Damn bike? Hu... Tifa, you don't like Fenrir?"

"Mmmh, you give it more attention than me. It's not fair. You even wouldn't take me on a ride," she said in a sad and hurtful voice.

Even if he knew it was because of the materia, he was not immune to that kind of voice. It twisted his heart.

He didn't know if he should laugh or be upset at her statement. So that was the truth? She wanted more attention from him? He felt stupid for not noticing it.

He naively thought that after his return and their heart-to-heart conversation, everything would be alright. However, considering her words, she was not all right.

"Cloud, come here..."

He didn't have time to say anything because she was kissing him on the lips, and it was not a chaste one. His heart constricted at the idea of pushing her away, but he had to.

"Tif, don't..."

"Please, just a little more." She kissed him again, and he truly enjoyed it.

"Tif, it's not that I don't want to, but you're under a spell. At least wait until tomorrow, ok?"

"No, I want my little baby chocobo all for myself tonight." She snacked her arms around his waist, keeping him against her.

_'Little baby chocobo? Oh dear god, I'm so doomed!'_ He thought.

He looked in her ruby eyes, full of love and shining beautifully. That was his downfall.

He pressed his lips to her, savoring her sweet taste. They wrestled for a while, Tifa kissing every parts of his body that weren't covered with clothes, while Cloud tried to keep her satisfied without taking advantage of the situation - kissing her in places that wouldn't be considered indecent.

Soon Tifa untied his belt to take off his pants as well. He jumped at her bold move.

"You're not going to sleep with your pants on; it's not comfortable," she sweetly said to him.

He obliged and took them off, promising himself that they were the last pieces of clothing he would let her take off.

He laughed at her light kisses on his neck; it tickled. He couldn't deny how much he loved the intimacy they were sharing right now. Holding her seemed so right that he wondered why he hadn't tried to be closer to her after his return.

Well, in fact he knew why: he was scared she would push him away after all he had done.

"Tifa, you know, I love you so much." He knew it was stupid to say that because she may not remember what happened tomorrow morning... or she may remember.

He wasn't used to those new materia's way of functioning after all.

"I shouldn't say that. Sorry..."

"He? What? No! No really, why shouldn't you? I love you too, Cloud." Her hand was stroking his cheek.

He looked at her and she was with no doubt sincere. He smiled, feeling his heart warming up.

"For real?" he asked.

"Yes, for real, my little baby chocobo." She hugged him with all her might. He chuckled at the nickname she used for the second time that night.

"Let's sleep now," he said and was glad she complied. She must be tired after all!

He secured her in his arms, tucked her head under his chin and whispered a good night in her ear.


	3. Chapter 3

**Double Materia :**

_Disclaimer : Final Fantasy VII and its characters belong to Square Enix._

_Author note : it's been more than two months I updated, sorry! I caught a cold, then went on holiday in Japan (yeah!) while there was a heatwave in my country, and back to work kind of tired, ill again this time hurting my back lol _

_This is chapter3, enjoy! Read and review ;)_

_Edit 15/11/2019 : grammatical corrections were made thanks to my beta reader, EarendilElwing._

* * *

**Chappy 3 :**

The morning inevitably came, and with it, the little moment of bliss of last night was sent flying away.

Cloud felt Tifa wake up. It was only 6 a.m and he supposed the effect of the materia hadn't dissipated yet.

Surprisingly, Tifa was not in his arms, but beside him. She turned towards him and he immediately wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring manner.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah. It's ok, Tifa. It's still too early; sleep a little more." He kissed her forehead.

"Ah...Mmmh"

After five minutes, when he thought she had fallen back to sleep, she squirmed again and finally voiced the question that was in her mind.

"Cloud, why are you in my bed?" She asked shyly. She didn't remember what happened, and she felt confused.

Cloud snapped his eyes open at the question. She wasn't under the spell anymore, which meant it was time for some explanations. Cloud really didn't know how to explain himself.

He looked at her, and her expression was back to normal. She was slightly blushing because of the way he was holding her.

When she noticed he wasn't wearing a T-shirt, it served to intensify her blush.

"Are you... are you naked?" She blurted suddenly.

"No! No, I'm not!" He was the same colour as her now.

In all her embarrassment, she quickly sat up on the bed, leaving the warmth of his arms. The first thing she saw was his T-shirt on the floor, and then his pants on the edge of the bed.

"Cloud, what... what happened?!" her voice was shaking.

Cloud sat next to her and tried his best to explain the situation.

"Tifa, you were under a spell. Do you remember? Yuffie left us a box of materia and you accidentally activated one of them last evening."

"What?"

"Nothing bad happened; don't worry. I stayed with you because I was worried, and you asked me to. You do remember Yuffie, don't you?"

Tifa frowned. There was a fog instead of her memories of yesterday.

"No, I don't remember anything..." she said lamely.

"It's ok. Your memories will come back slowly. Don't fret over it."

"But... Please, Cloud, tell me what happened." She looked at him with pleading eyes. He sighed.

"Ok."

He began the story from Yuffie's visit and up to the moment when he arrived in the bar, and she had cried in his arms.

"I cried? But why? And what was that materia?" She felt more and more confused.

"The abilities of the materia were Exacerbated Feelings and Truth. I guess you cried because you were tired."

"And after that, what did I do?" She was afraid to find out.

"Several times you said you were alone and scared. You cried a lot and asked me to stay with you."

"To stay with me? Shirtless and all?"

"Well no, you didn't mention that, but you seemed to like it better that way. But that's not the point." He was fidgeting awkwardly, and she raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

He let out a deep breath before explaining himself.

"Knowing the abilities of the materia, I feared your reaction towards me. I feared you would tell me that I was a jerk, that you only tolerated me in your life. Or that you would punch me saying how I was unforgivable for having abandoned you and the kids. I really thought I would be on the receiving end of your wrath."

"Did I do that? Did I punch you?" she asked in an alarming voice.

He smiled at her and bent towards her to whisper in her ear : "No, it was the exact opposite in fact." He kissed her cheek and put one of his arm around her waist.

She looked at him, relieved.

"Then what happened? And what about your clothes?"

"Oh, that," he chuckled. "You're the one who stripped me in fact... and I wasn't able to stop you."

"You're kidding?"

"Not at all. Let's just say you were really affectionate with me. Good to know you're still fond of me."

"Cloud... I...sorry..."

"Ssshhh, no harm was done Tifa, don't worry. In fact, I'm glad you spoke freely to me. There were things I didn't know..."

She was feeling nervous. Just what did she say and do last night?

"Like what?"

"Like you would like me to take you on a ride with Fenrir, that you would love to spend more time with me." He was watching her reaction intently. She was blushing like mad.

"Also I'm happy to know that I'm your little baby chocobo." He couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculous nickname. She was now hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment.

"And Tifa, I like your kisses." He wrapped his arms all around her; he didn't want her to feel ashamed, but he didn't want to lie about what happened either. He also knew he still had to apologize for his lack of self control. He shouldn't have kissed her the way he did.

He stroked her forearm gently and put his chin on her shoulder, waiting for her to say something.

She finally dared to show her face, her eyes locking with his.

He was smiling, the kind of smile she loved, the kind of smile he was showing more and more often. She rested her head on his shoulder and returned the hug. If he was willing to show some marks of affection to her, she wouldn't push him away.

"I really kissed you? I mean... a real kiss?" she whispered softly. He nodded at her. "Do I have to apologize?"

"No, I'm the one who has to."

"Why?"

"Because I kissed you back, even though I knew you were under a spell," he whispered back, hoping she wouldn't get mad at him.

She frowned at him and tried to search for an explanation in his eyes. He turned his head, suddenly feeling really guilty.

"I shouldn't have. I'm sorry Tifa." He was waiting for a slap... which didn't come. She was still watching him, trying to comprehend the full extent of what he said.

"Are you saying that if I kiss you, you would kiss me back?" she asked, dumbfounded.

He blushed at her question. What should he say? That he was a jerk taking advantage of the situation?

"Yes..." he lamely answered. There, now he clearly stated to her that he was indeed a jerk!

She was looking at him with round eyes again.

"Hu, well... I want to see that," she said, completely overwhelmed at the idea of Cloud and her kissing.

Silence etched between them, both embarrassed and uncertain of what to do.

Tifa couldn't contain herself any longer. She slowly hooked her arms around his neck, forcing him to look at her. She began to kiss his cheek and soon his lips.

He froze.

She pulled back for a second and whispered softly, "Can't you do better than that?"

She went to his neck this time, and he stopped her.

"Tifa..." He didn't know what he wanted to say.

"I hope last night was better than that."

"Mmmh, it was," he confessed, the red colour on his face intensifying.

"Show me, then."

He was feeling stupid suddenly. He had the women he loved in his arms, she wasn't mad at him, and she wanted him to kiss her. He finally broke into a smile and gently took her lips, trying his best to convey all of his feelings into it.

Soon she sat on his thighs, straddling him and kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

* * *

(NdA : _kissing as if there was no tomorrow_... wait, they already have done that before! literally! you know, under the Highwind...)

Should I write a chapter 4 or not? I haven't decided yet.

Edit february 2020 : chapter 4 finished! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Double Materia Chapter 4 :**

_Disclaimer : Final Fantasy VII and its characters belong to Square Enix._

_Author note : This is finally the last (long awaited) chapter, enjoy! Sorry for the delay!_

_Beta-ed by my lovely beta :)_

_Thank you so much to all the nice people, guests and registered members, who reviewed, favorited and followed this story. It makes me so happy! Love you all!_

* * *

They fell back on the bed, holding each other tightly - Cloud on his back with Tifa on top of him.

Tifa made a pause in her assault to take a breath. She enjoyed the wonderful sensation of being pressed against him, and most of all, being held in his arms.

Cloud, for his part, wondered if she was really out of the spell. While she was resting her head in the crook of his neck, he asked, "What happened to you? Shouldn't you be mad at me? You're still under that materia's spell, aren't you?"

He stroked her back gently and kissed her forehead.

"What? No! Cloud, please, I'm fine!" she whined.

"Since when do you feel like attacking me with kisses?"

"Since _you_ kissed me, chocobo head."

"Chocobo head? I'm no more your little baby chocobo?"

"No. You see, I'm normal!"

He chuckled at her.

"But I want to be your little baby chocobo. Come here."

He pivoted them so that there were both on their sides. She didn't expect the motion. She held onto him even tighter, circling her arms around his neck. This time, he was the one to initiate the kiss, shyly at first, but soon it became more heated. Tifa placed her leg between his and let her hands play with his blond strands.

When their lips came apart, he whispered in her ear in a soft voice, "I'm happy you're alright, Tifa. You scared me." He kissed her again, taking the time to savour her lips.

"You know, I love to be with you like this, as if it's only you and me in the world, and nothing else matters," he added.

She felt all of his love in his gestures and, surprisingly enough, in his words.

"Kiss me, Cloud. Hold me tight and don't let go. Never." How she had longed to say those words to him!

"I won't." He kissed her again, caressing her side, her back and, in a more daring gesture, her thigh.

She moaned against his lips, feeling all too happy he had finally decided to open up to her. And she was definitely going to show him how much she appreciated it.

When the kiss ended, he looked her in the eyes with a smile, and continued his exploration of her shapely body. Soon both of his palms went under her shirt, caressing her back as high as he could. She shivered and arched her back. His hands found their way back to settle on her sides again.

"Like it?" He wanted to be sure she was enjoying it as much as he was.

"Mmmh... Continue."

One of his hand, after exploring her back, found its way to her front - her belly, then higher, just below her breast. He stopped a moment to look at her. She was smiling at him with flushed cheeks. Before his brain told him it was ok to go upward, she took his hand and placed it fully on her right breast.

She skipped a breath at the warm sensation; so did he.

He slowly massaged the soft skin with the hardening bud. When his hand left, she moaned in disappointment. He took her lips quickly before whispering a "take that off" in her ear. She chuckled because his eagerness was at the same level as hers. She efficiently sent her night T-shirt flying in the vague direction of the floor.

Now he could see her beautiful breasts. He felt the heat on his cheeks intensifying. Seeing her bare skin was new to him. She had some equally nice colours on her cute face. She held her arms towards him and, with a loving smile, he indulged in her embrace, covering her body with his own. She found herself showered by kisses, from her neck to her belly, with a special attention on her breast area, much to her great pleasure.

He turned them over to put her on top of him. He noticed earlier that her back was a sensitive spot, and he wanted to see her shiver again under his touches. When his hands slowly draw little circles on her back, she did. It was, at the same time, soothing and sensual.

Tifa moaned and sighed in pure happiness. Her breasts were pressed against his torso, and her head was resting under his chin. In other words, she was in heaven. Soon, she felt herself so relaxed that she closed her eyes, the steady beating of his heart lulling her to sleep.

When Cloud stopped his ministrations on her back, he discovered she was sound asleep. Had she really just fallen asleep on him? Was he that boring? He shook off the idea. It was more likely the after effect of the materia, exhausting her body.

He caressed her hair gently; she looked so peaceful. He kissed her forehead before tucking them both under the sheet, adding a blanket to be sure she wouldn't catch a cold in her half-naked state.

* * *

It was eight o'clock when they woke up for the second time that morning.

Cloud stretched himself, careful to not disturb the sweet angel that lay next to him. He decided to wait for her to open her eyes. He wanted to make sure of her well-being before leaving for his deliveries. Luckily, today all his deliveries were concentrated in a short perimeter around Midgar and Edge. He had planned to get up early (for him early meant 5 a.m.) so that he would be back by 7 a.m. when Tifa would begin her day at Seventh Heaven. He had wanted to spend the day helping her in the bar, but with the materia problem, his initial plan was falling short.

Refocusing on the present situation, he couldn't help but smile at the peaceful, sleepy face on the pillow.

A feather like caress touched her cheek. Then some warm lips kissed her skin. With her eyes still closed, she smiled. Finally, a soft voice whispered in her ear, "I know you're awake, darling. Would you open your eyes?"

Her eyes shot open, in awe at a word that was used between lovers, but had never been voiced to her before. Blue, teasing eyes were the first things she saw. The coldness, the loneliness and the hurt were present no more. This beautiful blue was now sparkling with warmth, amusement and childish adoration.

"Cloud..."

"Hello again. Did you sleep well?"

Her smile grew wider as she snuggled a little more into him.

"Yes. Next to you, who wouldn't? Darling."

He chuckled while returning her hug.

"I'm glad you're not asking me why I'm in your bed."

"No need; I know why. You took advantage of me while I was under a spell," she teased.

"Hey!" he protested, pinching the skin of her butt.

"Hiya! Cloud!" She flushed at his bold, and a little hurtful, unexpected move.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. He cradled her butt cheek for pinching too hard on the flesh.

She hummed softly, letting him fondle this part of her body that he had not touched last night.

By the way, why hadn't he? Ah yes, she fell asleep before he had the occasion! She felt a little bad.

"You know, I really enjoyed it. I mean, the part where I was no longer under the spell. It was really wonderful to be with you. I don't want you to think it was not important to me. I know I fall asleep on you. I didn't want to, and I'm sorry."

"I know Tifa, I know." He searched for her lips to reassure her that he was ok with the situation.

"I feel like I'm still in a dream. Cloud, stay with me a little more. Please?"

"It's real. Would you have breakfast with me before I begin my deliveries?"

She made a face at being reminded of the existence of Strife Delivery Services. He rolled his eyes in amusement.

"You don't remember? I told you just before Yuffie came that I only had Midgar deliveries for today. I will be back in 2 hours."

"Oh, I forgot. It's fine then."

"Promise me you won't touch that box of materia while I'm gone, ok?"

"Promise." She sealed it with a searing kiss.

* * *

After many difficulties leaving her, Cloud was finally dressed and ready for his deliveries. One last long and slow kiss later in the middle of the bar, and he was driving Fenrir in the streets of Edge.

Tifa was feeling lonely again, but this time she was able to go on with her day without crying like an abandoned puppy. She decided to bake a cake for the pleasure of her family; this time more for Cloud than for Marlene and Denzel. She giggled at herself. She felt like a schoolgirl, but it was a nice feeling, since she never had the opportunity to be one, or to dream about her new boyfriend either. It wasn't normal for a 22 year old girl to have spent more time worrying about the impending doom of the Planet than about her love life. Finally, her love life could be her number one priority. She felt lighter in her heart.

Soon enough, Cloud was back just as he said he would be, two hours later. She was surprised when he suggested they eat outside. She gladly agreed, and they found themselves eating a pizza on the outskirts of Midgar.

"Let's go. Yuffie is supposed to come back today. She will be angry if she finds Seventh Heaven closed."

"Don't worry. She will wait," Cloud answered with nonchalance. She giggled.

They took their time on their way back, enjoying each other's company. Cloud drove Fenrir slowly towards the bar.

* * *

Yuffie came back as promised, with her everlasting cheerful mood, but with a hint of worry this time. She spotted Tifa behind the bar when she entered Seventh Heaven.

"Hello! How are you?"

"Yuffie! Welcome back. I'm fine." She smiled at the younger girl.

"Cloud told me you had an accident with one of my materia. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, don't worry, it was nothing. Cloud took care of me."

"What happened?"

"I don't remember in fact. You should ask Cloud."

The blond man appeared at the bottom of the stairs at that moment.

"Hello, Spiky! Tell me what happened to poor Tifa while I was away."

How he hated that nickname Barret found for him! He sighed. He definitely didn't want to explain what happened last night in detail.

"Nothing much; I took care of the situation." It was wise to remain vague on this matter.

"Good. But I want to know - what were the effects of the materia? I told you I didn't use them before, so Tifa was kind of the first test."

"I'm not a guinea pig," said a nervously laughing Tifa.

Cloud's eyes send daggers at Yuffie. The theme of scientific experiment with unwilling subjects didn't make him laugh at all. He was one in the past, as well as Zack, Nanaki and Aerith too. He refused to add Tifa on that list.

"Don't look at me like that! You know I was worried for Tifa! I just want to know which materia it was and how Tifa was feeling at the time."

"It was the purple and white one," answered Tifa.

Yuffie nodded at her. "Let's see..." she searched on her cellphone and read aloud, "_A double materia shining in purple and white, one is for Truth, the other for Exacerbated feelings."_

"Interesting. Well, Cloud? Did she finally tell you the truth? That you're an idiot?" She snickered at him.

"Yuffie!" scolded Tifa. Her voice resonated in the empty space of the bar.

An utter silence followed, because the barmaid was usually a calm person.

"It's not funny! Cloud was really nice and patient with me because I cried a lot, and I didn't feel well. He took care of me. I'm not letting you say he is an idiot!"

"I was just joking. Sorry, Tif!" Yuffie was surprised at her friend's outburst.

"Fine, apology accepted. I'm going to make some coffee." With that, Tifa went to the kitchen.

The ninja girl turned towards the silent blond man next to her.

"Whoa! Isn't she over reacting?"

"Maybe, but it serves you right." Cloud made a wolfish grin at her.

Yuffie huffed at him but her curiosity took the better of her.

"So, what happened? She cried?"

"Yes."

"Why's that? She sure seems to hold you in high esteem. Did you play her knight in shining armor and dry her tears?"

"Kind of. The rest of the story is none of your business."

"You're so secretive."

"And you are too curious."

They stopped their conversation when Tifa came back from the kitchen with coffee and the box of materia in her hands.

"Here Yuffie. Be careful with those things."

"Sure, Tifa. Thanks for keeping it. And really sorry if that caused you some troubles."

"It's ok. I'm fine now."

The ninja girl took her time to drink her coffee, trying to decipher their unusual behavior, but to no avail. It seemed that whatever happened would stay a secret between the two childhood friends.

"Ok then, I will head back to my home. See you soon!"

Yuffie took back her box and began her long trip back to Wutai.

Cloud and Tifa both sighed in relief at her departure.

* * *

"Hey Cloud, what were the other materia? Maybe we should have tried them." She asked playfully.

He grimaced at her before saying, "No. Please no."

"But it didn't end that badly after all."

He came closer to her, placing his arms around her waist.

"It didn't. But it could have."

"Why? I would have never harmed you, especially under a psychological spell, Cloud."

He kissed her gently. "I know, but I'm not interested in trying anything else. That purple and white materia was enough, even if the conclusion was kind of positive for us. I'm fine the way we are now, I don't want to change anything."

"Me too, I'm happy the way we are now."

She kissed him fervently before whispering in his ear: "I love you, my little baby chocobo."

He smiled widely in return and covered her neck with kisses.

"My Tifa...I love you too."

The End

* * *

_NdA : Thank you to all the readers!_

_What do you think are the abilities of the others materia in Yuffie's box?_


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